Guidelines of the true religion

Question

What are the attributes of the correct religion?

Answer

Praise be to Allaah.

Every member of a faith
tradition believes that his community is following the truth. Every follower
of a religion believes that his religion is the best religion and the
straightest way. Whenever you ask the followers of deviant religions or the
followers of man-made traditions about the evidence for their beliefs, they
tell you that they found their fathers doing this so they are following in
their footsteps, then they tell you stories and reports that have no sound
basis and whose texts are not free of faults and discepancies. They rely on
inherited books of which it is not known who wrote or said them, or in which
language they were originally written, or in which land they originated;
rather they are a mixture that has been gathered and written in a book that
is venerated, then they were passed down from generation to generation with
no proper scientific examination of the source of the text or of the text
itself.

These unknown books and stories and blind imitation do not
provide valid proof with regard to religions and beliefs. Are all these
deviant religions and human traditions true or false?

It is impossible that they could all be true, because the
truth is one; there are not many “truths”. And it is impossible that all
these deviant religions and human traditions could have come from Allaah and
all be true. If they are many, and the truth is one, then which of them is
the truth? So there have to be guidelines by which we may recognize the true
religion and distinguish it from false religions. If we find that these
guidelines apply to a religion then we will know that it is the truth; if
these guidelines or one of them is absent from a religion then we will know
that it is false.

The guidelines by which we distinguish the true religion from
false religions

1 – The religion should have come from Allaah, revealed
through one of the angels to one of His Messengers, to convey it to His
slaves, because the true religion is the religion of Allaah, and Allaah is
the One Who will judge mankind and bring them to account on the Day of
Resurrection according to the religion which He revealed to them. Allaah
says:

“Verily, We have sent
the Revelation to you (O Muhammad) as We sent the Revelation to Nooh (Noah)
and the Prophets after him; We (also) sent the Revelation to Ibraaheem
(Abraham), Ismaa’eel (Ishmael), Ishaaq (Isaac), Ya’qoob (Jacob), and
Al‑Asbaat [the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya’qoob (Jacob)], ‘Eesa
(Jesus), Ayyoob (Job), Yoonus (Jonah), Haaroon (Aaron), and Sulaymaan
(Solomon); and to Dawood (David) We gave the Zaboor (Psalms)”

[al-Nisa’ 4:163]

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We did not send any
Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): Laa
ilaaha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allaah)], so
worship Me (Alone and none else)”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:25]

Based on this, then any religion which is introduced by some
person who attributes it to himself and not to Allaah is undoubtedly a false
religion.

2 – It should call for the worship of Allaah alone, and
forbid shirk (polytheism or the worship of anything other than Allaah). It
should also forbid the means that lead to that, because promoting Tawheed
(belief in the oneness of Allaah) is the basis of the call of all the
Prophets and Messengers. Every Prophet said to his people:

“Worship Allaah! You have no other Ilaah (God) but Him”

[al-A’raaf 7:73 – interpretation of the meaning]

Based on this, any
religion that includes shirk and joins others in worship with Him, such as a
Prophet, angel or wali (“saint”) is a false religion, even if its followers
attribute it to one of the Prophets.

3 – It should be in accordance with the principles advocated
by the Messengers, such as the worship of Allaah alone, calling people to
His path, and forbidding shirk, disobedience to parents, unlawful killing
and immoral deeds, both hidden and open. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And We did not send any
Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): Laa
ilaaha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allaah)], so
worship Me (Alone and none else)”
[al-Anbiya’ 21:25]

“Say (O Muhammad): Come, I will recite what your Lord has
prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and
dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty — We
provide sustenance for you and for them. Come not near to Al-Fawaahish
(shameful sins and illegal sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or
secretly; and kill not anyone whom Allaah has forbidden, except for a just
cause (according to Islamic law). This He has commanded you that you may
understand”

[al-An’aam 6:151]

“And ask (O Muhammad) those of Our Messengers whom We sent
before you: Did We ever appoint aalihah (gods) to be worshipped besides the
Most Gracious (Allaah)?”

[al-Zukhruf 43:45]

4 – It should not be self-contradictory, so it should not
issue one command that is contradicted by another, or forbid something then
allow something very similar for no reason, or forbid something or allow it
for some but not for others. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Do they not then consider the Qur’aan carefully? Had it
been from other than Allaah, they would surely, have found therein many a
contradiction”[al-Nisa’ 4:82]

5 – The religion should
guarantee to protect people’s religious commitment, honour, wealth, lives
and children though the commands, prohibitions and morals that it
prescribes, which protect these five holistic principles.

6 – The religion should be a mercy to mankind, freeing them
from the wrongs that they do to themselves and to one another, whether those
wrongs have to do with violating their rights, giving control of wealth to
the few or leaders misleading the masses. Allaah says, telling us of the
mercy that was contained in the Tawraat which He sent down to Moosa (peace
be upon him:

“And when the anger of Moosa (Moses) was calmed down, he
took up the Tablets; and in their inscription was guidance and mercy for
those who fear their Lord”

[al-A’raaf 7:154 – interpretation of the meaning]

Allaah says, telling us how He sent ‘Eesa (peace be upon
him):

“And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a
mercy from Us (Allaah)”

[Maryam 19:21 – interpretation of the meaning]

And Allaah says of Saalih (peace be upon him):

“He said: O my people! Tell me, if I have a clear proof
from my Lord, and there has come to me a mercy (Prophethood) from Him”

[Hood 11:63 – interpretation of the meaning]

And He says of the Qur’aan:

“And We send down of the Qur’aan that which is a healing
and a mercy to those who believe”

[al-Isra’ 17:82 – interpretation of the meaning]

7 – It should include guidance regarding the laws of Allaah
and should show people what Allaah wants, and should tell them where they
came from and where they are going. Allaah says of the Tawraat:

“Verily, We did send down the Tawraat (Torah) [to Moosa
(Moses)], therein was guidance and light”

[al-Maa'idah 5:44 – interpretation of the meaning]

He says of the Injeel:

“and We gave him the Injeel (Gospel), in which was
guidance and light”

[al-Maa’idah 5:46 – interpretation of the meaning]

And He says of the Qur’aan:

“It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with
guidance and the religion of truth (Islam)”

[al-Tawbah 9:33 – interpretation of the meaning].

The true religion is that which contains guidance concerning
the laws of Allaah and brings security and peace of mind, so that all
whispers of the Shaytaan are driven away and all questions are answered, and
all confusing matters are cleared up.

8 – It should advocate the best attitudes and actions, such
as truthfulness, justice, trustworthiness, modesty, chastity and generosity.
And it should forbid bad attitudes and actions, such as disobedience to
parents, murder, immoral actions, lying, wrongdoing, oppression, miserliness
and promiscuity.

9 – It should bring happiness to those who believe. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Taa‑Haa.

[These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’aan, and
none but Allaah (Alone) knows their meanings.]

We have not sent down the Qur’aan unto you (O Muhammad) to
cause you distress”[Ta-Ha 20:1-2]

It should be in accordance with the sound natural disposition
of man (al-fitrah):

“Allaah’s Fitrah (i.e. Allaah’s Islamic Monotheism) with
which He has created mankind”

[al-Room 30: 30 – interpretation of the meaning]

It should also be in accordance with sound reason and common
sense, because the true religion is the laws of Allaah, and sound reason is
the creation of Allaah, and it is impossible that the law of Allaah and the
creation of Allaah would contradict one another.

10 – It should point towards the truth and warn against
falsehood. It should show the way to true guidance and steer people away
from misguidance. It should call people to the straight path in which there
is no crookedness. Allaah tells us that when the jinn heard the Qur’aan,
they said to one another:

“O our people! Verily, we have heard a Book (this Qur’aan)
sent down after Moosa (Moses), confirming what came before it, it guides to
the truth and to the Straight Path (i.e. Islam)”

[al-Ahqaaf 46:30 – interpretation of the meaning]

It does not call them to that which would cause them misery.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Taa‑Haa.

[These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’aan, and
none but Allaah (Alone) knows their meanings.]

We have not sent down the Qur’aan unto you (O Muhammad) to
cause you distress”[Ta-Ha 20:1-2]

And it does not enjoin them to do anything that would cause
their doom. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another).
Surely, Allaah is Most Merciful to you”[al-Nisa’ 4:29]

It does not differentiate between its followers on the
grounds of race, colour or tribe. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female,
and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily,
the most honourable of you with Allaah is that (believer) who has At‑Taqwa
[i.e. he is one of the Muttaqoon (the pious)]. Verily, Allaah is
All‑Knowing, All‑Aware”

[al-Hujuraat 49:13]

The only distinguishing feature for which people may be
preferred over others, according to the true religion, is piety or fear of
Allaah.

In the light of the guidelines by which we may distinguish
between the true religion and false religions, supported by that which what
is said in the Holy Qur’aan, which indicates that these guidelines apply to
all the truthful Messengers who were sent from Allaah, we may then discuss
different types of religions.